Phonograph



c. B. REPP.

PHONOGRAPH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, I914. RENEWED APR-8,1919. 1,323,316. Patented Dec. 2,1919,

- a SHEETS- SHEET 1.

d lm entor:

llam VI- Atty C. B. REPP.

PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1914. RENEWED APR-8,1919. 1,323,316. E Patented Dec. 2,1919

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor:

gpl Atty C. B REPP.

. PHONOGRAPH. nPPLiCATlON'FlLED APR..B, 19.14. RENEWED APR. 8, 1919.

i 32 3 3 1 6 o Patented D60. 2, 1919. v

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

e t: I IHYfTIIiOI':

it Atty,

ST E

ornron CLInTO B. REPP, or rLAnvrInLn, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

rocUILLEnMo A. ALONSO, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PHONOGRAIH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 8 1914, Serial No. 830,339. Renewed April 8, 1919. Serial No. 288,657.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, CLINTON B. Rnrr, a citizen of the United States, rcsidin at Plainfield, in the county of Union and tate .of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographs, of which the followin is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to phonographs, and

-more particularly to the amplifying mechanism thereof.

Heretofore, to secure the desired amplitude of thesound vibrations developed or reproduced by the diaphragm, it has been a com mori practioe to employ ahorn of comparatively' large dimensions, having a fairly largebell mouth. Such horns have been made of metal and of wood and thesize of the horn has been determined in large measure' by the volume of sound desired. In this type of horn the increased amplitude of the reproduction has been secured at the cost of asacrifice in the clarity, or purity of the tones ofthe reproduction, which resulted from the devolepment of cross vibrations in the horn itself. By using short concealed horns, some of the objectionable characteristics of the larger exposed horns have been F eliminated, but the sound reproduction has not been amplified in a degree which will give to the sound waves the desired tonc values. p

By'my present invention, I aim to provide an amplifying mechanism for a phonograph in which the horn structure, while being compact, will give to the reproduced sound the desired amplitude, while preserving the clarity and purity of the reproduced tones through the avoidance of development of discordant vibrations in the material of the horn itself. The dimensions of the horn are such that it may be used either as a concealed horn or as an exposed or outside horn,

the differences of use requiring no changes horn made. in accordance with my invention contained one within the other so as to in.- .sure a compactness of structure and avoid possibility of such a disarrangement of parts as would lead to a loss in the etficiency thereof.

The invention consists primarily in a phonograph including an amplifying mechanism embodying therein a tubular body of gradually increased dimensions toward the mouth thereof, a closure for the small end of said body, an independent tube mounted within said tubular body, the mouth of which discharges toward said closure, said closure being provided with a means whereby sound waves emitted by said last named tube will be directed radially of said tubular body and means whereby said last named tube may be connected with the sound outlet opening of a sound box; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a phonograph embodying my invention as applied to a concealed horn, the horn being shown raised, with the cover, in full lines andlowered in playing position in dotted lines;

i 2 is a horizontal through the horn;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a modified form of the invention in which the horn bears a fixed relation to the sound box;

ncctcd directly with or from a sound box with the movement of the cover carrying the horn.

Like letters refer to like the several views.

In the accompanying drawings I have parts throughout shown only a portion ofthe cabinet of a.

phonograph and only those details of the mechanism necessary to an understanding Furthermore, the indesection thereof amplifying mechanism which mechanism includes a fixed or immovable sound box (Z', and ail-amplifier or horn. in the novel teatureso't' which and more specifically in the manner in which the horn is connected with the sound box; my invention resides.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2. the. cover 7) is hinged to the body (1 ot' the cabinet, and said cover has firmly secured within the same a tapered 'tube c preferably slightly helled at the mouth, said mouth opening outwardly of the cover and. being closed onlywhcn not in use, by the ordinary hinged .hd l1. Thls tube may be made of metal, wood,.or any other desired substance, and it may be circular or angular in cross-section as desired. I have secured very good results with a rectangular tube and also with a circular tube.

In. the form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the reduced end or the tubular body 6 is fitted to a. tapered me-.

tallic tubular titling f the taper of which coincides with that oF the adjacent portion of the body a. the small end of said fitting being provided with a closure. 9. To secure the desired rigiditv of the. horn mechanism. I provide the cover 7) with a socket it within which the closure has a tight driving lit.

The sound waves are delivered to the. iir terior of the tubular body ('f through a tubular elbow. one arm, '1', of which is substantially axially alincd with the body -7. and has its outlet directed toward theclosure 1/. .I have found that by flaring the arm and reducing it in thickness toward the outlet, bringingit down to a lairly thin edge, I am enabled to increase the intensity of the reproduced sound, as well as to improve. its quality or timber. The greatest outside dim nsions of the arm 'i are considerably less than the smallest inside dimensions of the adjacent portion of the fitting 1'' and the mouth oi the said arm 2' is spaced slightly awav from the closure g, aconstruction which provides a clearance in front of and about the mouth of said arm. The reverse tapering of the fitting 7' and the arm 71 also insure a gradually increasing clearance from the mouth of said arm toward the mouth of said fitting by reason of the opposite flare of the outside of said arm and the inside of said fitting.

The other arm j of the said elbow projects through the fitting- 7 and is firmly secured thereto by a close drive-n fit, by brazing or in any other desired manner. The. protruding end of said arm j serves as a means for facilitating the connection of the horn with the sound box.

To avoid a blast at the closure 9 due to the development of vibrations therein upon a plane. extending across the mouth of the arm 2', I provide said closure with a conical, or substantially conicah projection g; the apex of which extends toward, and substantially axially oi, the arm Z. This projection not only stiitens the closure r but divides the sound vibrations emitted by the' arm 2' and gives them a direction radially of the axis or center line, of the fitting f. I have found that this construction gives highly satisfactory results in use, and the the purity and clarity of the reproduced, amplified,

sound is increased thereby as compared with 01 her forms of closure.

In the form of the invention shown.in' Figs. 1 and 2, I mount upon the sound outlet nipple ot the sound box d, a tubular fitting, one end 7..- of which is mounted upon said nipple. The other end 70 of'said fitting; extends parallel with the axis of the hinge of the cover 7), while the intermediate portion 71 thereof, connecting the ends in and l is projected downwardly in a direction substantially radially of said hinge, and connected to the end is, by a swivel joint I, is a similar fitting m-m and m,

the end m of which projects upwardly instead of downwardly and is connected with the inlet of the arm The arms is m project toward each other, the end of one being rotatably seated Within the end of the other which is swelled out to receive it, said endsbeing held in position by a pin and slot connection indicated at. in Fig. 2.

In the. modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the construction of the horn mechanism is identical with that heretofore described with the exception that the inlet of the arm j is in direct. connection with the outlet nipple of the-sound box d. This construction is capable of use only with a machine in which the horn is at all times fixed with relation to the reproducing mechanism. To permit the mounting of a record upon or its removal from the turn-table 0, the cover 7) of the cabinet is so constructed as to permit one side thereof to be opened, as by the use of the hinge doors 0-0'. v

In Fig. 5, I have shown a horn unattached to the reproducing mechanism the detailed construction of this horn being identical with that heretofore described with the exception that the arm 9' is slightly elongated so that when the horn is used as an outside horn, it will be raised sufliciently above the turn table c to permit convenient access thereto.

v In Fig. 6, I have shown a modification of my invention in which the sole difference between the construction thereof and that of the othe1 lf0r1ns of the invention heretofore described, resides in the forming of the inlet. of the arm j, so that when the'hinge cover? is raised or lowered said inlet will automatically be connected with or disconnected from the outlet nipple of box (Z'i This result, in the form of the in- ,vention shown, is secured by slightly liaring the end of the arm 3', although other means for compensating for the arc describedby saidarm in opening and closing said lid may be used.

The operation of the herein described amplifying mechanism is substantially as follows, the operation being substantially thejsame in all .of the forms of the invention illustrated, the" sole difference being that to the closure 9 is from ten to twelve inches,

when the arm; is -connected with the sound box through.- the swiveled tubular fittings 'thefs'o'u'nd vibrations must pass through said fittings befo. e entering the inlet tube of the 'horn while if said arm be mounted directlyu-pon the sound box there is a direct transmittal ofjthe sound waves from said box' to said horn.

When ;a phon0graph embodying my invention operation the soundwavcs developed? lily the displacement of the dia-;

phragm of the sound box 0? pass'from said sound box and through arm 3' of the tubular elbow, being delivered by the daring arm a W 'nst the closure g, The substantially conical, raised, central projectiong of the closure 9, will directj the sound waves radially of the fitting f, these soundwaves there after passing through the gradually increased clearance about said arm i and be tween the same and the fitting-f.

The reduction in the thickness of the arm 2 adjacent the mouth thereof appears to have the two-fold advantage of increasing the amplitude of the reproduced sound, and preventing the development of cross-vibrations due to a surface, represented by the thickness of the stock of said arm, extending parallel with the portion of the closure g adjacent the edges thereof.

I have demonstrated by actual experience that a horn made in accordance with my invention, the length of which from the bell and the bell of vhico is about five inches in the circular form, and four by six inches in the rectangular form, will in use produce results which as to the volume or intensity of the sound waves, equal those produced by a twenty-two inch horn having a fifteen inch bell, and that the reproduction will be more the sound 'than with the larger horn.

While an amplifier made in accordance with my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with an inclosed horn structure wherein the conditions are such as to necessitate a horn of short length, it is not my intention to limit the invention to an inclosed horn structure. Neither is it my intention to limit the invention to the proportions or specific construction of the various parts as shown in the accompanying drawing. I

It is to be observed that an amplifier or horn made in accordance with my invention is a compact unitary structure, the parts of which are so assembled and united as to avoid the development of false vibrations therein.

which is directed toward said closure, said closure being provided with means whereby sound waves emitted by said tubular member will be directed toward said tubular body, and tubular means connecting said tubular member with said sound outlet embodying therein a swivel joint permitting movement of said cover and said tubular body supported thereby.

2. A phonograph embodying therein a fixed sound box having a sound outlet and an amplifying mechanism consisting of a tubular body tapering toward he mouth thereof, a cover movable with relation to said sound box, means supporting said tubular body within said cover, a closure for the small end of said body,-a tubular member mounted within said tubular body the mouth of which is directed toward said closure, said closure being provided with means whereby sound waves emitted by said tubular member will be directed toward said tubular body, and

l a tubular fitting, one end of which is connected with said sound outlet, the other end of which extends substantially parallel with the axis about which said cover moves and an intermediate portioin of which is directed substantially radially of said axis, and a second tubular. fitting one end of which is connected with said tubular member, and the other end of which is alined and rota tably connected with the end of said first named fitting'extending parallel with said axis of said cover.

3. A phonograph embodying therein a fixed sound box having a sound outlet and an amplifying mechanism consisting of a cover inclosing said sound box and movable in relation thereto, said cover having an opening therethrough, a tubular body tapersocket, a tubular member mounted withinsaid tubular body, the mouth of which is directed toward said closure, said closure being provided with means whereby sound waves emitted by said tubular member will be directed toward said tubular body, and a tubular means connecting said tubular member with said sound outlet en'ibodying therein a swivel joint permitting movement of said cover and said tubular body supported thereby.

i. A phonograph including an amplifying mechanism embodying therein a tubular body comprising a tapering wooden portion adjacent the mouth thereof, and a tapering metallic tubular fitting connected therewith the taper of which coincides with that of said wooden portion, a closure for the small end of said metallic fitting, an independent flared tubular member mounted within said metallic fitting, the mouth of which is directed towardv said closure, said closure being provided with means whereby sound waves emitted by said tubular member will be directed toward said tubular metallic fitting, and means whereby said tubular member may be connected with the sound outlet opening of a sound boX.

A phonograph embodying therein a fixed sound box having a sound outlet, amovable cover inclosing said sound box and an amplifier mechanism consisting of a horn carried by and movable with said cover and means connecting said horn with the sound outlet of said sound box comprising a tubular section in communication with said sound outlet, a tubular member connected with the inlet to said horn and a swiveling connection between said tubular sections whereby said cover may be opened and closed without interrupting the communication between said horn and said sound box.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature this fourth day of February, 1914. v

CLINTON B REPP. lVit-n'esses F. T. Wnn'rwoa'rn, CLARICE FRANCE. 

